Walking Dead 1. Gone to Hell

_In a world where it's survival of the fittest, no one, not even Ben, is sure how he's lasted this long._

The world had gone to hell in a hand basket. It was a phrase his mother had used when talking about politics and how horrid they were or when the neighbor ladies got particularly catty. Ben would sometimes wonder how often she'd used it now that...but then he'd stop.

It'd all happened so fast, as if one day everything had been normal. They had playoffs to go to and nothing had been wrong. No one knew what'd happened, what _was _happening. The dead were walking and eating people. It was like some horrible nightmare. And for a while that's what he told himself. For the first few days that's how he'd copped, telling himself that he'd wake up soon. Then he'd be at home, getting ready for breakfast so he could catch a bus. He'd hug his parents before he left, that he'd tell them he loved them. But until then he kept telling himself the same thing.

You'll wake up soon.

You'll wake up soon.

Oh God, please wake up soon.

It didn't work.

He finally snapped out of it once Travis got tired of hearing him mutter the same thing over and over. Ironically, Ben finally opened his eyes to this new world, but only when the right one was swollen and black.

"Sorry man." Travis apologized without sounding like he really meant it, as Ben finally came out of his delusion to look at him with a blank expression that moved into confusion. "You were getting worse than the dead."

Ben blinked a few times then winced as his eye protested the action and he brought a hand up to cover it, then he listened and looked for the first time in days. Some people were crying, some were trying to get through on phones that'd stopped working a long time ago, a big group was huddled around their band teacher who was fiddling with a radio, far too many were just quiet.

Then there was the moaning coming outside. No one seemed to be paying much attention to it anymore but the doors were blocked and the lights were turned down. Everyone kept their voices low and occasionally glanced at the door.

Travis sat down next to him, leaning against the wall and stayed quiet for a moment surveying the gym as well.

"...sorry." Ben finally answered after a moment, his friend just shrugged in response before handing him a granola bar that he'd missed out on earlier. Ben realized he was hungry and grabbed it from him nodding his thanks.

Travis sighed after a second, "The world's gone to hell." he said in a matter-of-fact way that proved he'd had no such illusions about waking up to normal life.

"In a hand-basket." Ben answered without really thinking about it and he felt more than saw Travis give him a baffled look before smiling a bit.

"That's one way to put it."

**AN: **Not sure how long this will be. I've always felt really bad for Ben, I know he gets a bad rap and by all rights he really does deserve it. He is a wondrous screw up but...I have a feeling if I was in his sort of situation, I would be too. I'm no hero, and no matter what kind of good intentions you have, sometimes they all amount to nothing.


	2. One Day too Many

As the days past and the meager food supply dwindled, people started to get stir crazy. The phones never came back on, one channel after another shut down and turned to static and making the radio useless, there was no saying what went on beyond their little world, the gym. It became increasingly clear that rescue wasn't coming. What was becoming even clearer, at least in Ben's mind, was that they couldn't stay here.

"Travis, c'mon, our families are there. We have to go back and see if they're okay."

"No way man. Look, I want to get to them as much as you do but we have no idea what it's like between here and there."

"It could be better.

"Or it could be ten times worse."

Travis wasn't the only one he'd asked to come with him, he was just the only one that Ben felt he might have a chance in persuading. Mr. Parker had said to give it a few more days and well...Ben didn't have a lot of friends to ask. He was hardly Mr. Popularity before all this and it seemed that some things hadn't changed after all.

"Travis, c'mon..." He repeated, his tone becoming more pleading. "I need someone to come with me. I can't go alone I'll..." his voice dropped off and he looked away at the doors. They'd been boarded up with more care than a couple days before. The gym had been more crowded then, the floors and their clothes less bloody. He knew what waited for him if he went out there alone, and it wasn't pretty. He would most likely end up as one of those things.

Travis sighed as he saw where Ben was looking, "I'm not saying I won't go...eventually. Let's just listen to Mr. Parker, we'll give it a few days and then head out."

Exhaling, Ben's gaze shifted to the ground and he reluctantly nodded. It didn't seem like he was going to be rallying troops any time soon. It would take something much more important than him to get them moving. He guessed it would be hunger or the dead. Or the hunger of the dead.

(-)

Letting the bathroom door swing behind him, Ben headed back to the main area, but then stopped short when he heard crying. People crying wasn't that unusual, to be honest. They'd all done their fair share, though many wouldn't admit to it. However, there was something desperate and simultaneously weary about the sound that scared him deeply.

He pushed the door open to the girl's bathroom slowly and carefully, announcing his presence with a short cough, just in case. When he didn't hear anyone yell at him he figured it was okay. Looking around inside Ben saw the source of distress. Jenny Pitcher.

She'd always been a beautiful girl, slim and dark-haired but now she seemed worn down and tired. Just like the rest of them. He'd always liked her, but in that 'I don't think I'll ever be able to approach her' kind of way. She was generally friendly and kind, if a bit self-involved. She'd been at the top of the food chain when it came to High School and now here she was curled up against the wall on the bathroom floor. Where were her friends? Shouldn't they be here?

"Jenny?" She didn't seem to hear him, her shoulders shaking violently and face blotchy and pale from crying. He hesitated, wondering if he should go get someone, not sure if he was the one for the job. "Do you want me to go find a teacher?" He was turning towards the door a bit when she shook her head at the question. So she was aware enough to hear him after all.

Kneeling in front of her, Ben was at a loss of what to do. He reached out one hand and put it on her shoulder, "Hey...hey it's alright." The attempt at comforting sounded pathetic and hollow even to him, especially to him.

"I'll go get one of your friends." He decided, girls were good at this kind of thing, right? They'd hug it out or something...he didn't know. All he knew was that his mom was far better at this sort of thing than his dad.

"No." Her voice was strained and a little broken but she put the heel of her hand against her eyes and wiped away the tears, "No I'm fine. I just...it's fine."

Ben stood up and moved away a little as she picked herself up off the ground and dusted off her outfit mechanically. She still seemed out of it but so did everyone nowadays, he wasn't one to judge. But he hesitated to leave her alone.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Her voice had gained some strength though it still sounded odd to him in a way that he couldn't place, she turned to look at herself in the mirror and pulled some hair out of the way. "I'm fine. You can go."

Ben took another step back, a little shocked at the coldness of the dismissal but he dropped it. This had been a hard time for all of them. She probably just needed a moment and then she'd be able to face the next day. His mind recalled his first few days of denial, and the way he'd ignore when Mr. Parker seemed especially irritated or when Travis would sometimes shut down and not talk to him for a couple hours. It was probably just her way of dealing.

"Okay." He slipped back out the door and started his trip back to the gym, figuring he'd see her with her group of friends by the next morning.

He never noticed the bottle of pills sitting next to the sink.

**AN: **Sorry I know these are kind of short, I'm trying to get back into the rhythm of writing again. Also thank you for the review TehDarkPrincess, I'm very happy we're on the same page about Ben. And thank you for the follows. They mean a lot.


	3. Not the Bite

The next day, Ben woke up to screaming. His eyes shot open and he sat up with a start, baseball bat in hand. He looked towards the front doors but they were still secure, a second yell followed by the tell-tale moans of the undead were sounding again but they weren't from outside. It was coming from the bathrooms.

Some peopled jumped up immediately to go help, others stayed back, confused and disoriented. Travis held out a hand and pulled him up and they took off after the group. One girl ran out of the bathroom in a frightened panic, clutching her right arm to her stomach, it was red.

She was followed. It lurched out of the bathroom, unsteady in gait but it growled and moaned, hunger not at all diminished. Ben took an involuntary step backwards in shock and disgust, he was not the only one. It was (or it had been) Jenny. It was unsettling how much it still looked like her, just paler and covered in blood, when it opened its mouth, bits of flesh dropped and hit the floor. People were yelling and the girl that'd rushed out of the bathroom was gasping, equal parts shock and pain while she held onto her arm as if that insignificant action could save her somehow.

Mr. Parker pushed through the confused and frightened crowd of students, hatchet swinging from his grip in an awkward fashion that told he wasn't used to handling it. He swung and Ben had to look away as it made impact, though the sickening sound was still heard. It took two more times before Jenny/not-Jenny fell to the ground. Killed for the second and final time. There was silent for a moment before the room erupted all at once.

"What the _hell_?!"

"Was that Jenny?!"

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God."

"Was she bit?!"

Eventually, that was the question that the group latched onto. Had she been bit? But no one wanted to check for confirmation. At least not right now. There was a more pressing issue.

The girl (one of Jenny's friends...Diane was her name) _was _bit and there was nothing they could do. She was crying uncontrollably and Ben was reminded of last night...but he didn't know that someone was about to die then. He didn't...should he have?

He felt sick, but didn't have enough food in his system to get rid of. He was the last one to see her alive but...he didn't know! How could he? Ben curled up on himself and folded his arms across his middle the bat clattering against the floor, useless. Travis glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, but didn't say anything.

A small group took the body and disposed of it, confirming that there was no visible bite. No one was sure what to do about Diane. A few people guarded...guarded her just in case. Others discussed what to do with her because they couldn't afford to wait and see.

Ben retreated back to the corner of the gym that he and Travis had taken over and slumped against the wall. He wrapped one arm around his knees and stared at nothing, trying to breathe deeply to ward off a panic attack he felt coming. His heart was thumping in his chest in an erratic rhythm that wasn't at all normal and he couldn't get his vision to work quite right no matter how many times he blinked. One thought kept running through his mind.

She hadn't been bit, she'd killed herself...and somehow...came back. It wasn't the bite...it wasn't the bite that did it.

He felt something nudge his side and jumped, not realizing someone had joined him against the wall. It was Travis, big surprise. Ben couldn't meet his friend's questioning look and instead he stared at the ground. Travis put a hand on his shoulder and Ben realized with some shame that he was shaking terribly.

"What's going on?"

Ben bit the inside of his cheek until he started to taste blood, not sure how to start. And when he did it was in short, confusing sentences "I-I...I saw her l-last night. She was upset"

"Jenny." Travis confirmed more than asked and Ben nodded his head but it seemed more like a short spasm.

"We t-talked. I didn't realize. I-I didn't know..." He put his head in his hands, hiding tears that had started to form, Travis didn't say anything. There wasn't much to say.

(-)

They didn't give Diane any good options. For the good of the group they told her she could either take the rest of the pills found in the bathroom (cause of death) and they'd take out her brain as soon as she stopped breathing, or they'd leave her outside. They couldn't risk an outbreak, not here.

There'd been other people that had turned before her...it'd cost more lives than anyone liked to think about. There was no way to save her. None that they were aware of, anyway.

The group of girls Jenny and Diane had spent their time with hugged her, said their goodbyes, and stayed until the end.

Diane took the pills.

(-)

Everyone was packing what they could, all the essentials. The food had run out too fast, even with their diminished numbers. Things had grown quiet outside. The dead had seemed to move on and so, logically, should they. Help wasn't coming, if it was going to it would've shown up already. They needed food.

Ben threw a pack over his shoulder, shifting with weight and held the bat to his side. Other students did the same; arranging and fitting packs, checking their weapons. It was so odd to see his classmates with weapons, and in a way it was a little frightening as well. How was it that they became so used to having to use these that they couldn't sleep without them every night? Ben still wasn't used to his own, he wasn't sure he'd ever be.

Travis' own crowbar was slung over his shoulder, they looked at each other and the shorter of the two quirked a half-smile, trying to cover up the fact that he was anxious as well as break the gloom, "You ready?"  
"Yes." Ben answered immediately and too quickly, then he let out a shaky breath, "No."

"Me neither."

Startled, Ben looked at his friend and then broke into a short surprised laugh, Travis' smile widened and became slightly less nervous in nature. There hadn't been much of a reason to laugh in...well since all this had started. Any excuse, even an idiotic one, one was welcomed.

It wasn't a moment that lasted long, both sobered up quickly, expressions going back to a tired and weary neutral. It was a look that seemed far too old for two teenage boys to be wearing. It was a look that was reflected back at them in everyone they saw.

People started moving towards the door and the two followed suit. The doors opened and people filed out in pairs, taking care to not make any sound. Noise would attract anything lingering out there. Ben looked back at the gym, oddly reluctant to leave now that the opportunity had finally presented itself. It had become a sort of home...or maybe that was just him. Maybe it was the fact that life seemed a bit more sure in this small space than in a great big and dangerous world.

Then he remembered all the people that had died in this contained one. Was it really better than the alternative?

Looking forward, the sunshine blinded him and Ben blinked, putting one hand up to get rid of the glare from the outside world. When he became accustom to it, the let his hand fall back down to his side and took a good look around.

A new existence waited for him out there. Whether it was good or bad, waited to be seen.

**AN: **Thank you all for the follows and the favorites. They mean a lot to me. Sorry this took a bit longer and that there isn't much going on this chapter, really. I was struggling some. Hopefully I'll get the next one out soon.


	4. Day by Day

"Let's make this fast."

"Yeah, I know."

Raiding had become a way of life. In the beginning, it was terrifying to go back into the shattered remains of the city, but hunger and need drove them to action. In that way, they weren't all that different from the dead. At first they weren't sure about taking people's possessions, it felt wrong somehow but...well those people weren't there to argue. Even if they were they weren't optimal position to be using their stuff any time soon. They were either long gone, or one of the obstacles.

"Ben, keep watch."

"Alright."

Today it was a grocery store. Truth be told, a lot of the places they went through were already pretty well scavenged by the time they got to them. Everyone left in a hurry and things were a mess. It really did look like the end of the world. Felt like it too. It was disturbing to see places that seemed so familiar and close to normality, only to walk in and noticed shelves tipped over, broken glass on the floor and a red streak on the glass doors that they all refused to acknowledge. Then there was the smell that seemed to do its best to reside everywhere in various strengths. They did their best to ignore that too.

Outside the sun was shining and there were barely any clouds in the sky, the temperature felt perfect, the leaves just starting to change. It was a uncomfortably beautiful day for a world that felt like it belonged in a horror movie. Mother nature seemed to care little about what was happening to its human inhabitants.

Ben stayed quiet, listening to the sounds of scavenging going on behind him while keeping his eyes focused outside. There were a few of the undead wandering around outside, but their attention didn't focus towards the store. Instead they shambled around aimlessly, in various states of decay. Harmless, at least for now.

Their group had taken to calling them the Risen. You die, you rise. It wasn't exactly a pleasant name but they had to call them something. No one could quite remember when or how the name had gotten started, but it circled around their small group until it became common. So had this messed up shadow of a life, weirdly enough. It was nerve wracking and heartbreaking but people adapted. There was less crying, more sleeping, more surviving. Ben even managed to push the thought of his parents to the back of his mind most days.

It was disturbing to watch everyone, including himself, slip into survival mode.

Everything was going smoothly on the raid until he heard a loud crash behind him followed by a couple muttered swears and all sound behind him ceased. Ben flinched and turned to look at what had happened but stopped himself just short and turned his eyes back towards the door to evaluate their position.

The Risen had taken notice.

Ben tapped his bat on the floor three times in quick succession, signaling for people to get moving and everyone sped up their process no longer worried about blowing their cover, grabbing things off shelves, packing up quickly.

They filed out through a back entrance while the front was slowly being overrun, taking out a few of the undead at the same time. Ben took a bat to one's head and didn't stop following the group even though he had only knocked it to the ground without killing it.

Sometimes you just had to keep moving.

(–)

One day after raiding, a group had come back with the usual, food, supplies, some clothes, etc. But the real prize was an abandoned guitar. Old and worn with mismatched strings and tuners, it wasn't the most well kept guitar, but it was beautiful. Everyone had been excited to see it, those instrument belonging to the marching band had (for the majority) been lost and whatever MP3 players that had been with them had died weeks before and had been discarded. With the guitar back there was music again. Honest to God music and they'd missed it.

It became surrogate comfort blanket of sorts for their group, after it was tuned everyone took turns playing, with varying levels of skill. Some songs were sad, some happy, some were known to everyone and those nearby joined in, some were just picked out slowly and unsteady and had a more personal feel.

No matter how it sounded, it was music. Something from...well before all this. Before the world had taken a turn for the worse.

Holding the guitar a bit unsteadily, Ben strummed the cords to try and get a good feel for the instrument before fiddling with the strings to get it back in tune. He hadn't played anything like this before the supposed apocalypse, but he knew the sounds of the notes and could pick them out...a little. He was doing just that when someone interrupted.

"Geez man, give that over to someone who actually knows how to play."

He looked up to see Travis flopping down nearby and Ben rolled his eyes at his friend's teasing.

"Because you're so talented." He responded sarcastically. Travis was just about as good as he was, which was to say, not brilliant.

"Hell yeah I am." His friend responded immediately in a joking manner, Ben just pulled the guitar a little closer and Travis didn't make any serious moves to take it from him. They sat together without comment while Ben strummed nothing in particular.

The group's adopted instrument had lifted their spirits somewhat. It was helpful, if only to compete with the ever looming presence of The Risen.

(–)

The world around them was so quiet. It wasn't on the list that first came to mind of things that should be bothersome in the apocalypse. It's easy to forget about all the background noises of civilization, and when they disappeared left a presence. There were no planes and very few cars, the cities finally seemed to be sleeping, permanently. The first days provided a chaos of noise to fill the void; moaning, screaming and shootings. In its own way this silence could be so much worse.

It was why they played music even when they should probably keep silent, talked when it was better to leave comments unsaid, argued when tensions got too high. Anything to remind themselves that they were still there even if the rest of the world seemed to have vanished with only their Risen selves as a replacement.

However, the next time Ben saw another group of survivors, he'd wish for the silence.

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait, I know some of you were waiting. I got a little stuck and life kind of kicked me around for a little bit. Anyway! Next chapter should catch us up to the beginning of episode 2 of the game. We should start seeing the other characters soon enough.


	5. Only One Left

The first signs of other humans were ambiguous. It was Rachel who first noticed signs of life beyond themselves and the animals. During her watch she saw something dart behind a tree. Too upright to be an animal, and The Risen didn't sneak. There was never anything subtle about them. If they caught onto the fact that you were there, they came growling and moaning and never hid.

Someone was out there.

They kept a lookout for a long time afterward but never seemed to catch a solid view at whoever was out there...watching them. They weren't a rescue team, if they were why would they be hiding?

It set the whole group on edge. They'd already lost too many of their own since this all began. They weren't even sure if the outside world still existed or if that was just a pipe dream to keep them going.

But it'd been a long time. No one was sure how much time had really passed since the beginning of all this, but the weather was starting to change so that had to mean something. Sometimes it felt like forever since things had been even remotely normal.

Ben sat on a makeshift seat (aka: a log) feeding wood into the fire carefully to keep warm. Others sat around watching or just staring off into space. Conversation had turned into a rare commodity for them. After a certain amount of time there didn't seem to be a whole lot to say. Life had come to an anxious stand still.

(-)

The Bandits attacked at night, when it was least expected. As was there plan, most likely. Their group's watchman was cleanly shot through the back of the head. It hardly made any noise when he thumped to the ground, lifeless just outside their circle of vehicles. Regardless, someone did hear and when they found the body and let out a startled yelp, they were the next to be taken down.

Everything after that was chaos as people woke up, startled and were shot down almost in the same breath. It was not a fight or a battle but rather a slaughtering, as the cars that they'd circled around their camp to provide protection and to store supplies shifted from a safety precaution to a target range.  
As soon as the noise and disaster had begun, Ben awoke with a start and made a grab for his bat only to find it had been kicked across camp in all the confusion. He frantically looked around to see men in masks invading their camp, killing the boys and taking the girls. Instinct drove Ben to roll under the nearest Vehicle while he hadn't been noticed yet in the cover of the night and noise.

"Damn looks like we hit the mother load" One yelled to the other bandits, he got a few whoops and cheers as the others started going through the supplies as well. The group that was being attacked had done a lot of runs into town and come back with a good amount of needed supplies, but truth be told they'd been slowly running out. Everything was rationed, so what looked like a lot to the bandits would probably go quicker than they realized.  
Ben's breathing came in short quiet gulps and he listened and winced at the sounds of the people yelling and gunshots. He wanted to run, he wanted to help somehow but just as he was thinking it, someone else (he couldn't tell who) from his group had the same idea. He struggled trying to grab the gun out of the Bandit's hand before he was shot. Any ideas Ben was nursing about trying to be a hero were discarded.

Underneath all the noise there was a dreadfully familiar sound.

Moaning.

The Risen were coming.

Desperation spurred Ben into action and he made his way out from under the car on the other side, picked a direction and started sprinting before anyone could see or react to him.

Gunshots.

Screaming.

Keep moving.

You have to keep moving.

(-)

After what felt like hours but was probably no more than one, Ben stopped completely. Putting his hands down on his knees he panted desperately for air but he was shaking and he felt tears on his face and lifted up one hand to wipe it away quickly.

He heard something nearby and his head snapped up in the direction he'd heard it from as he willed his breathing to quiet. His eyes scanned the ground looking for something, anything to use as a weapon, but there was none.

He turned to start running again when...

"Ben?"

That made him pause, and he let out a relieved breath that turned into a borderline sob. His voice shook as he called back.

"T-Travis?"

The boy in question stepped into view looking as shaken and defeated as Ben felt.

"Thank God, at least someone else got away, I was afraid we were the only ones..." Travis trailed off, realizing what he'd just said and looked a bit pained.

Ben sighed and looked behind the other boy, trying to see who else had made it. Mr. Parker came into view, giving a short nod to say hello, but the questioning look he gave both of them was simply reflected back told him enough. Ben's shoulders slumped with defeat. This was it, then. This was who'd survived

No one spoke for a long time and the silence fell over them as their thoughts turned dark. The supplies and weapons were gone, their group was dead or taken. What were they going to do?

Mr. Parker took the lead and started walking in a direction without a word.

Travis looked at Ben before shifting his shoulders a bit and following. Ben spared a glance behind at the forest, back in the direction he'd come, the sun was starting to rise. It was a start of a new, and entirely fucked up, day. He could hardly wait.

(-)

They kept moving for hours and the sun moved slowly to the middle of the sky. Ben's mouth was dry and he felt slightly dizzy, they needed water, they needed food. All three of them started to lose focus as time went on and as their adrenaline ran out they started to get tired.

That's how they missed it. The hidden trap that was buried under a bunch of leaves.

Mr. Parker took a step forward and suddenly there was a sickening crunch as a bear trap clamped over his leg and he fell to the ground. He let out a pained shout that echoed through the forest that made Ben and Travis both jump and rush forward.

Travis knelt down and tried to find a way to make it let go but there didn't seem to be one, he grabbed one side of the trap and Ben pulled on the other but to no avail. It was stuck. It wasn't going to release.

Mr. Parker let out pained sounds and Ben cringed as he heard it and stood up, whispering to himself, "Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit." the he bent forward again to try and do something, but he just got in the way.

In the back of his horror stricken mind he heard someone approach and heard one of them muttered, "Oh Jesus Christ."

He turned he saw two men, the larger of the two was carrying an ax the shorter one held a sniper rifle, Ben raised his hands palms outwards, shaking and wondering how this day could get any worse. His movement alerted Travis who leapt up and started talking for the both of them in a frantic tone, his words coming out at lightening speed.

"Oh shit! No! No please don't kill us. We just want to help our teacher we'll leave I swear!"

"Lee! You guys okay?"

Another man came running out of the woods in a cap carrying a gun and the two boys watched him apprehensively as he took a look at their teacher who was still screaming in pain.

"Get if off! Get it off! God Dammit get it off me!" Ben winced when he heard that but kept his eyes forward to the men with the weapons when he got an idea. He turned towards Travis.  
"Travis! Maybe they can help!"

He barely got the sentence out before the other was shaking his head violently, already dismissing the suggestion, "These might be the same guys who raided our camp and we barely got away from that!"

"What guys?"

"Why the fuck is there a bear trap out here?"  
" I dunno, man!" Ben's voice was high with stress and he felt a bit of offhanded irritation at the question. If they'd known there was a bear trap here would their teacher have stepped into it?

The one with the ax (...Lee?) responded, "It's okay. We're not going to hurt you."

Ben was about to answer when Travis jumped in first "Don't listen to them, Ben!" Ben looked down and shut up for the moment. "Please, let us go we're not a threat to you!"

Travis was panicking nearly as much as he was and where as Ben became quiet when his nerves got the best of him, Travis talked too much. This was a mess and Ben wasn't sure what to do.

"Kid chill out!" The one with the mustache snapped sounding irritated, and for good reason, "We'll try to help you but you got to shut the fuck up!"

The one with the glasses said something to Lee but it was too quiet or Ben was too shaken to hear properly. He glanced at Mr. Parker and saw the blood the was slowly starting to stain the ground and before he could think through what he was about to say, he let out a pitiful,

"Please..."

Travis turned to glare at him, looking angrier than Ben had ever seen him and he took an involuntary half step back from his friend. "Ben shut up! My dad was Special Forces I know what I'm doing!"

This wasn't going to help Mr. Parker, no matter what Travis believed, Ben kept talking, "Just see if you can get him out of there! After that you can leave us or whatever I don't care! Please!"

The three men looked at each other before Lee questioned, "Was he bitten?"

"Bitten? No! I swear!" But what does that matter if he dies anyway? That was the question that Ben never asked. He probably should have.

"Hurry please hurry!"

The one with the glasses knelt down and fiddled with the trap before he looked up at Lee, "Lee this trap's been altered, there's no release latch." Ben felt his heart drop and his fists clenched, nails digging into his palms. There wasn't any way to get him out, was there?

Then the moaning started. They'd been too loud in their panic, and that coupled with Mr. Parker's screaming had attracted the undead.

"Oh no."

"Shit! Walkers! It's now or never Lee!"

Walkers? Oh...that must be their name for the Risen.

"Please...get it off me!"

"Mark get the boys back. Kenny, keep those walkers off of me!"

The one in the glasses (Mark) pulled Travis out of the way as Lee stood over their teacher with the ax in hand, Ben watched with eyes wide, realizing what he was thinking, and not a moment too soon. Ben quickly got out of the way, not wanting to wait for axes to start swinging.

"Lee do something!"

Ben didn't hear what the man said next but he figured Lee must of told Mr. Parker what he was planning because his teacher started shaking his head and protesting loudly.

"No no no! Try the trap again! Anything please! Try the chain"

But Lee didn't take the time to respond to the useless plea. He lifted the axe above his head, hesitated for a moment, and then brought it down. Mr. Parker screamed and Ben had to look away as he started to feel sick. This wasn't happening, this wasn't happening, this wasn't happening.

He heard the sound of the ax falling again and loud wordless yelling followed. Ben twitched, covering his ears by instinct but it did little to drown out the screams, gunshots or moaning.

When he came back to his senses Travis was running away from the group to throw up and Ben walked up to Lee's side to see his teacher laying there, with a stub replacing his newly chopped off limb.

Oh God...was he...

"Shit is he-" Mark voiced Ben's thoughts for him.

"He passed out." Lee reassured them. Ben wasn't so sure...he looked so pale and...there was so much blood.

"If he's alive, grab him and let's go!" Kenny urged them. Mark took the hint and lifted Mr. Parker off the ground and across his shoulders, carrying him in the opposite direction of the Risen...Walkers, Ben started to follow the rest when he realized that Travis wasn't with him.

"Behind you!"

"Travis!" The undead had surrounded his friend while he was busy being sick and now they were coming for him. Ben lurched forward to try and help but Lee held him back. Why was he doing that?! There was still time to get to him, these things moved slowly, didn't they?

"Come on come on we gotta move!" Lee told him, Ben wasn't sure if he was saying that to him or Travis.

Travis finally took notice of his surroundings but by then it was far too late. With a yell he backed away from the oncoming Risen and tripped, falling to the ground and backing into a large rock, effectively trapping himself. The dead started to eat him alive as he cried out for help that never came.

"NO!"

**A/N: **Hey everyone. Sorry again for the wait. After I saw the last episode I kind of had some doubts on whether or not I should follow through with this story. But then my mind wouldn't shut up about how to word Ben's final moments and I figured I had to go through with it.

So seeing as how I can't really play the game and study the moments I need to in detail with the option of rewinding. I will be using a Let's Play as my reference. I have chosen Cry because he's a very good LPer and I enjoy his probably the best. And he chose to save Doug over Carley. I love Carley as much as the next person but Doug's character serves my story better. I'm sorry if that's disappointing for anyone.

Anyway! Let me know what you think.


End file.

Walking Dead, Horror, Tragedy